A user equipment (UE) may be configured with a variety of different capabilities. For example, the UE may be capable of establishing a connection with a network. Specifically, the UE may connect to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. While connected to the LTE network, the UE may utilize further network capabilities. For example, the UE may utilize a carrier aggregation (CA) functionality in which a primary component carrier (PCC) and at least one secondary component carrier (SCC) are used to communicate data over the various LTE bands. The network component to which the UE has connected may be an evolved Node B (eNB) that provides the PCC. The connected eNB may also control how the carrier aggregation is to be utilized with the SCCs. For example, the eNB may request measurements for LTE bands which are associated with the SCCs and receive the measurements to determine how the available bands are to be used in the carrier aggregation functionality. Thus, the UE may have a plurality of LTE bands or component carriers that are available to communicate data.
The UE may utilize a media access control (MAC) layer that schedules transmissions of uplink data packets through component carriers on a first come first serve basis. Accordingly, the MAC layer is not concerned with whether the UE has the capability or is configured with the carrier aggregation functionality. That is, the MAC layer is not aware of a carrier aggregation delineation that exists in the physical (PHY) layer. With no discernment in scheduling uplink data packet transmissions, the MAC layer may potentially transmit high priority data packets with a poorly performing component carrier which leads to an overall poor user experience.
Furthermore, the UE is limited to a maximum uplink transmit power that is available over all component carriers that are being used. Thus, when carrier aggregation is configured with a plurality of component carriers being used, the maximum uplink transmit power is split among these component carriers. With this configuration, the UE may be transmitting on multiple uplink component carriers with a reduced efficiency as more power is required to activate all the component carriers and each component carrier is provided with decreasing transmit power.